Why No Excuse

No Excuse is a blog focusing on poverty and poverty issues in Hamilton, Ontario. Look here daily for news items, events, resources, and a chance to engage in discussions with others on local poverty issues. No Excuse was originally staff-written when it was launched in 2007 as part of the Hamilton Spectator's Poverty Project, but it is now a community blog written by people who come from all walks of city life, but share a deep concern for poverty issues. See "Who Are We" for more information about our authors.

July 30, 2007

Hamilton rallying to food bank shortages

Wow.
The reaction by readers (of the paper - and especially of this blog) to the food bank shortages has been nothing short of inspiring.
I'm off work today - and have been handling other duties at the paper since I wrote the original story last week - but I have been watching the response from ordinary readers with growing amazment.
I count something like four different food drives started up by "ordinary" folks, and now the Spectator has jumped in with an ad campaign, a donation, a food drive of it's own and a challenge to other Hamilton companies.
Read through the comments on the Hunger post below and you'll get a good idea of the different drives that are going on - are you up to the challenge they pose?
I'll return to this tomorrow, but in the meantime my hat's off to Sharon and Burke and everyone else - you make this work worthwhile.
Bill Dunphy
ps - did you notice that the Ontario government has suddenly decided to increase the raw food cost allowance for seniors in long term care to the $7 level that dietitians were calling for? Amazing what a little embarassing publicity can do in an election year....

Comments

I do find it still really pathetic that we are suppose to live long and healthy lives but are still denied what should be considered humane food as a senior or as a person.We are supposedly one of the industrial,first world nations yet people still live in third and fourth world conditions in Canada.It is also pathetic that the people who have the least will still contribute the most.Politicians need to come live with some of the people who poverty is affecting to be able to get a REAL sense of what they need.My hat goes off to the Hamiltonians who have answered the call to help.It's too bad Woodstock won't follow your lead,they are still in denial that there is people who live in poverty...

Bill: Did you see the piece in the Toronto Star today? I am appalled at the fact that our seniors are treated so horrible. What really got me, was if the diaper does not show its strip because it is not 75% full, then if a seniors is given a bath, they put the soiled one back on. Could you imagine what CAS would do to a parent if they did that to their babies? This is deplorable, it is not acceptable by any means in a civilized society, but then maybe that is the problem, our leaders have created a system that is no longer civilized. I think people need to start voting
" NONE OF THE ABOVE".

Michelle,
I hadn't seen the Star piece (for those of you who don't read the Star you can find it here: http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/241223 )
but thanks for pointing it out.
While I share your outrage about a nursing home that requires staff to re-diaper a resident because it's only at the 72% absorption level, I also think we need to keep some perspective here. The changes brought by Smitherman have been many and they have the potential to make even larger improvements in nursing homes because of the amount of openness that has been built into the system - patient and family councils, online inspection records, increased staffing and funding... these are all HUGE improvements from the previous era.
And even on the diaper issue, while it sounds awful to re-diaper someone just because the diaper hasn't reached it's designated capacity, I wonder should we be asking a resident if they can tell the difference between one at 60% and at 70%? Or at 40% and 75%? Maybe the technology works well enough that there's no discomfort at any of those levels. I don't have a clue, but I'd like to know more before puffing up with outrage.
Bill

I thought it was interesting about the civil service pays on the news last night.They think that over 70,000.00[with benefits included]is not enough money and they should get more.The mentality here is that they have too much stress dealing with the public.I would gladly take their place.Living below the poverty level or working for minumum wage,might help them to realize how good they do have it.As soon as they feel their wages or benefits are threatened though a massive strike looms and we are the ones it effects.Personally I feel the ones who are stressed out the most are the ones that have the least...

Having been around people who have worn diapers,the biggest problem is sores and rashes.Think of a baby who wears diapers and it is the same problems only bigger.In long term care[have had relatives in there]the problems are with staff shortages.Residents have to wait to be fed,wait for medication and wait to be changed.Being in long term care has it's challenges because we are talking about adults,not kids.Each resident usually has multiple problems as well.Another problem is that alot of the people in long term or senior homes have family that don't come to help them either.Some give up on life because society has an out of sight,out of mind policy.Another case of passing the buck to someone else.What does this have to do with poverty you are asking?Poverty has more than one face it's called poverty of the soul...

Charlene: It was an interesting piece you wrote about civil servants. While many of us have watched our employment standards go down the tube, it is really hard not to blame those who do have union protection, a voice that fights for wages, benefits and so on. It was interesting that you pointed that stress is a major reason given for more money etc. While there are many who work in this industry that do their best to serve the public, there are a few that are so obnoxious, that feel that they have the right to cause undue stress on the people trying to access services because of their position of authority, really it is a case of workplace bullying. There is no legislation in place for this type of infraction within the ESA and for me it is really hard to understand why, some are protected in a unionized environment for this type of behavior, while those in private sector do not have any protection against those who bully.

Kelly,
I suppose I get fooled more than my share, but not on this one. (Although I noticed the Toronto Sun made the same mistake you're making and one I've seen repeated on a number of blogs and web sites.)I tracked down that "$11" cost for inmates and there's two important things you're not told. The $11 cost is for Food PLUS preparation and serving. The $7 cost is for raw food - the ingredients only. The ministry of corrections told me taht in Ontario prisons spend an average of $6.94 per person per day on raw food costs — very close to the $7 a day the Dietitians of Canada have been advocating for seniors. It's worth noting, however, that from my conversations with dietitians and public health officials the prison number is probably a little low - seniors need (and burn) significantly fewer calories than their much younger counterparts. - Bill

Bell Canada is responding to the challenge by Bill Dunphy and joining The Spectator in organizing a food drive at the Hamilton offices. Bell employees will be collecting food for the next week. We also challenge other local companies to collect food and monetary donations to help our community.

I was wondering if anyone knows if there is any type of program going on in Hamilton like Woodstock's Operation Sharing's 25 cent program? There is a program running here where grocery stores are involved that ask customers to donate 25 cents to Operation Sharing's food card program. It is used by clients to purchase items not generally supplied by food banks. It gives people a little more freedom and alot more dignity...Operation Sharing has a web-site but keep in mind they are working on it.I haven't been able to reach the minister Steve Guiliano yet about Hamilton's food drive success story.I am hoping they might try it here.I truely believe that people are good hearted.

The whole issue with how much is spent on seniors and prisoners, etc. was raised in the ODSP Fireside website, where advocates and people receiving ODSP come together to discuss issues. I learned after I asked that after basic shelter costs are paid, including rent/mortgage/taxes and utilities are paid, most people on ODSP are living on between $2 - $4 a day for food. If people are not happy with what seniors are getting, how can they be happy with how people with disabilities living in the community are living? Or trying to?